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this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
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Privacy
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It’s easier if you think of it like a car. Say you get arrested while in or around your car: doesn’t mean you did anything wrong or broke a law, just that you were arrested. Now there’s a million ways for cops to do the backflip jetpack gymnastics to get to search your car.
Once arrested, some stuff happens but importantly, a prosecutor starts building a case against you.
Maybe you took the recycling out and a crumpled up beer can is in the back seat, that’s an open container. Maybe you picked up some starting fluid for the cold mornings, they found it in the glove compartment in a paper bag, better do that blood test on you to rule out inhalant use, that would give them dwi. Got a significant amount of cash in the locked center console, that’s drug money. Maybe you keep the sporterized bring back hunting rifle your uncle gave you in the trunk, now you have an unregistered firearm in your possession, intent to menace? How will that allow upgrading the charges they’re already building against you? Who can say?
And remember, they’re going to use any method they can to deny you your property if you somehow end up beating the laundry list of charges. You’re losing the gun and cash no question. Civil asset forfeiture will see to that. If there’s anything wrong with your car that would keep it from passing inspection even if it had a valid inspection at the time of impound they can choose not to return it to you and instead sell it at auction for their own gain or just crush it.
Now what lines and spirals are drawn in the cloud chamber of your life when that cop particle strikes your phone instead of your car?
But I don't have a self destruct button on my car. I don't know anybody that does.
Of course you don’t. The point of my reply wasn’t to encourage you to rig your car to explode but to explain some of the reasons why it’s perfectly understandable to take every possible precaution about your phone if you think it’s possible cops will get it.
You suppose in your earlier reply that a persons unique actions must be the precursor to a level of paranoia around law enforcement that approaches destroying the phones contents. I was trying to illustrate that everyone should be extremely apprehensive about cops getting their phones, not just those who are engaged in some clandestine bullshit ala the old mad magazine marginalia.
Of course, just turning your phone off if you’ve sufficiently hardened the settings is enough for four or five years of safety on ios and at least a year or two on android.